I forwarded Jennifer Lortie, Program manager at the Eastern Connecticut Assistive Technology Project, my recent article that was published in National Federation of the Blind’s Fall 2014 Future Reflections Magazine and additional information. After she reviewed the article and information, she informed me that she would share my teaching strategies with her colleagues. This is another example of how people are helping people. In the end, students are the ones who are going to benefit because parents, teachers, and administrators are going to have “another tool in the toolbox.”
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It is amazing how many different opportunities are opening up with my math manipulatives. Laura Walley, Assistant Principal. and Ruth Miller, Parent Involvement Coordinator, are organizing a math workshop on January 14th for parents to learn teaching math strategies to help their children with homework. I have been invited to use my math manipulatives during the workshop. Because Elm Street Elementary has a large Spanish speaking population, it is very likely that I will need to have Ms. Miller translate my teaching strategies to the parents as well as translate the dialogue between them and me. I am excited about this new kind of demonstration for me and opportunity to help parents provide support for their children’s education.
I ended the week on a positive note. I discussed my math manipulatives with Mary Pittman, Math Specialist for the Colorado Department of Education. After sharing information over the phone about my manipulatives with Ms. Pittman, she requested additional information and images to forward to her colleagues. We agreed that if our discussion will help just one student in her state it was time well spent!
After I met with the AZ Doe’s Exceptional Student Services, I passed by the Academy of Math & Science in Tucson, AZ on the way to get on I 19. I made a quick left turn into the school’s parking lot before I missed it. I met with Ettor Strada, Special Education Director/ Head of School. Even though it was almost dismissal time, he designated about 15 minutes to hear my math strategies. Mr. Estrada was very complimentary and saw the potential in how my manipulatives can help his students master their math standards.
I received an email from Valerie Tiensvold, Outreach Coordinator for the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Ms. Tiensvold informed me that she added my contact information to her state’s Listserv. With her help, her VI colleagues will have access to information about my math manipulatives.
I will be demonstrating the Fraction 16ths braille manipulative to Suzanne Goodemote at Model Middle School on November 6th. Every student and standard is important. This is a perfect example of a teacher targeting a skill and using every “tool in the box” to help her student.
I recently received UPC codes to make my manipulatives available for retail sales. School Crossing Too, a school supply store based in Colorado Springs, CO, is going to have my manipulatives available for purchase.
I received confirmation from Mary Keeney, Arizona Department of Education’s Exceptional Student Services, that I will be demonstrating my manipulatives to her as well as to Harold Campbell, Mathematics Specialist, AZ DOE’s Exceptional Services, and Ann Gortarez, AZ DOE’s Assistive Technology Specialist, on October 2nd at 10:00 AM in Tucson, AZ. Because Ms. Keeney and I have discussed my math manipulatives for several months, I am glad that I will finally be able to share my teaching strategies with her and her colleagues.
I just confirmed with Rita Weatherholt, Executive Director of the Arizona Blind and Deaf Children’s Foundation, that I will be demonstrating my math manipulatives at the Arizona School for the Blind on October 3rd at 1:30. I appreciate Ms. Weatherholt’s time effort to organize the demonstration with Arizona School for the Blind’s principal, Dr. Kathy Zwald.
I sincerely appreciate the offer by Dayna Andrews, Communication Specialist, FAAST, to post information about my math manipulatives on their social media sites. With her willingness to share my teaching strategies, many parents, educators, and administrators in Florida will have additional options to help their students learn their rigorous math standards. In my opinion, this is perfect timing because the 2014-15 school has just started.